سُوْرَةُ النَّحْلِ
Surah An-Nahl (16) — Ayah 92
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿92﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun, after it has become strong, by taking your oaths as a means of deception among yourselves, lest a nation should be more numerous than another nation. Allâh only tests you by this [i.e who obeys Allâh and fulfils Allâh’s Covenant and who disobeys Allâh and breaks Allâh’s Covenant]. And on the Day of Resurrection, He will certainly make clear to you that wherein you used to differ [i.e. a believer confesses and believes in the Oneness of Allâh and in the Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم which the disbeliever denies and that is their difference amongst them in the life of this world].
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تَكُونُوا۟
takūnū
be
كَٱلَّتِى
ka-allatī
like her who
نَقَضَتْ
naqaḍat
untwists
غَزْلَهَا
ghazlahā
her spun yarn
مِنۢ
min
after
بَعْدِ
baʿdi
after
قُوَّةٍ
quwwatin
strength
أَنكَـٰثًۭا
ankāthan
(into) untwisted strands
تَتَّخِذُونَ
tattakhidhūna
you take
أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ
aymānakum
your oaths
دَخَلًۢا
dakhalan
(as) a deception
بَيْنَكُمْ
baynakum
between you
أَن
an
because
تَكُونَ
takūna
is
أُمَّةٌ
ummatun
a community
هِىَ
hiya
[it]
أَرْبَىٰ
arbā
more numerous
مِنْ
min
than
أُمَّةٍ ۚ
ummatin
(another) community
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
يَبْلُوكُمُ
yablūkumu
Allah tests you
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah tests you
بِهِۦ ۚ
bihi
by it
وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ
walayubayyinanna
And He will make clear
لَكُمْ
lakum
to you
يَوْمَ
yawma
(on) the Day
ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ
l-qiyāmati
(of) the Resurrection
مَا
mā
what
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you used (to)
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
تَخْتَلِفُونَ
takhtalifūna
differ
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
92. 1. That is, breaking a solemn oath is just like a woman who, after spinning yarn, herself tears it into pieces. This is a parable.
92. 2. That is, do not make it a means of deception and fraud.
92. 3. When you see that now you have become greater in number, you break the oath according to your assumption, whereas at the time of the oath and agreement, that group was weak, but despite their weakness, they were assured that due to the agreement, no harm would come to them. But you, by making excuses and breaking the agreement, cause them harm. In the era of ignorance, due to moral decline, this kind of breaking of agreements was common; Muslims have been prohibited from this moral decline.
92. 2. That is, do not make it a means of deception and fraud.
92. 3. When you see that now you have become greater in number, you break the oath according to your assumption, whereas at the time of the oath and agreement, that group was weak, but despite their weakness, they were assured that due to the agreement, no harm would come to them. But you, by making excuses and breaking the agreement, cause them harm. In the era of ignorance, due to moral decline, this kind of breaking of agreements was common; Muslims have been prohibited from this moral decline.
